Effect of Sowing Dates and Two Chickpea Cultivars on Some Growth Parameters and Yield

Abstract

Abstract A field study was conducted at Grdarasha Research Station of the College of Agriculture/ Salahaddin University– Erbil, during the growing season of 2017, to study the effect of sowing date on some growth parameters and yield of chickpea. A factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design (RCBD), with three replicates was used, sowing dates ( January 20, February 9, March 1, and March 21 ), and two cultivars of chickpea (Rafidain and Gab) were implemented. Sowing at January, 20 produced the highest plant height (43.0 cm), leaf area (797.83 cm2), leaf area index (2.66), dry matter (38.06 g m-2), crop growth rate (7.90 g m-2 day-1), number of primary branches plant-1 (3.55), number of pod plant-1 (21.60) and seed yield (2.160 t ha-1). On the contrary sowing at March, 21 recorded the lowest of all above studied characteristics, also Gab cultivar surpassed the Rafidain cultivar in all characteristics studied except no. of seeds plant-1 and 100-seed weight. From interaction sowing date with cultivars recorded the highest of all characteristics studied at sowing date January, 20 with Gab cultivars as well as Rafidain cultivar recorded the lowest of all studied characteristics at sowing date March, 21. There was positive highly significant correlation(r= 0.869) between seed yield and their components; no. of pods plant-1, no. of seeds pod-1 and 100- seed weight (r= 0.869, r= 0,810 and r= 0.706) respectively.